It behooves a franchisor to set aside a place in the Official and Confidential Operations Manual to explain to franchisees why these requirements are in place. Franchisees are put at a disadvantage to other businesses in the market place due to the high costs of liability insurance required. But due to the lawsuits and lawyers it is imperative that these insurance policies are in place. When writing a chapter on required insurance for franchisees of a franchise system you will need to cover many sub topics. Below is an outline of our Insurance Requirements Chapter for our Franchise Company; CarWashGuys.com , feel free to print this article and outline and then modify it somewhat to fit your business model. Once this is done put a few paragraphs to each number and lettered item and then review it. Type it up double-spaced and have an attorney look it over and share it with your insurance agent and have their underwriters look it over for accuracy. Then once completed add it to your Confidential Operations Manual to prevent discontent from your franchisees. Think on this.

INSURANCE

I. REASONS

A. Liability Exposure

B. Marketing

C. Franchisor Help

D. Peace Of Mind

II. WHO REQUIRES IT

A. Industrial Customers

B. Property Management

C. Large Corporations

D. Franchisor

E. Government Accounts

III. LIMITATIONS

A. What It Doesn’t Cover

B. Reasons

IV. LIABILITY COVERAGE AMOUNTS

A. Liability Completed Operations

B. Vehicle

C. Worker’s Compensation

D. Theft, Etc.

V. OTHER

“Lance Winslow” – Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

I think we’re supposed to be impressed that CEOs spend that much time on communication. But, quite frankly, what else does a CEO do? And, if you consider both direct and indirect communication, wouldn’t that be more like 90%?

So, what do CEOs do, and how much of that involves communication of one kind or another?

Well, they make decisions. But before they make them, good CEOs get information from specialists in their organization. They also may check other options by reading newspapers and magazines, attending conferences, and talking to their peers. All of which involve communication.

For example, let’s say a CEO must decide whether or not to launch an important new product line. Before she makes that decision, our CEO will have had discussions with, and reports from, senior members of the sales department. She will also consider the country’s economic outlook in the coming months and years, talk to others about what competitors might do, and review the financial implications with the VP of corporate finance.

It’s all about gathering, distilling, and transmitting information: what we call communication.

Turning to another CEO function, what about envisioning a new future for the organization and developing a strategy based on it? Again, communication can’t be taken out of the mix.

After all, you can’t just pick a vision out of the air. It’s the outcome of reflective thinking combined with information, knowledge, and insight. All of which come from communicating.

And, there’s often a kaleidescope effect before a vision emerges. All sorts of information tumbles around in the mind, over and over, like clothes in a dryer, until eventually a new and promising pattern reveals itself.

For example, suppose the Vice President of Human Resources has just been promoted to Chief Executive Officer, and the board made it clear it expects him to put his own, unique stamp on the company.

He might retire to his office and spend a lot of time inside trying to think of a new direction. But, it’s far more likely he’ll reach out, rather than withdraw. He’ll talk to staff on the front lines as well as managers. He’ll read everything relevant he can find in books and magazines.

As that information pours into his mind — as the communication process enriches his imagination and knowledge — he’ll start to envision possibilities. Some will be more promising than others, and he’ll talk about them with others in the organization. Eventually, some sort of consensus will likely emerge about the most promising vision.

Those are just a couple of examples from the work of CEOs, but you can see why I’m skeptical about the 50% figure: There’s not much about a CEO’s job that does not involve communication of some kind.

In summary, CEOs may do more than communicate, but almost everything they do will be driven or influenced by communication processes inside and outside the organization.

Robert F. Abbott writes and publishes Abbott’s Communication Letter. Learn how you can use communication to help achieve your goals, by reading articles or subscribing to this ad-supported newsletter. An excellent resource for leaders and managers, at:
http://www.communication-newsletter.com

1. Create Product Specs for every item you buy. Sit down with the kitchen team and write out a specification for every item. Example: cantaloupe, 5 1/4 to 6 1/4 inches in diameter.

2. Every spec must be quantifiable and qualitative. Every spec must be measurable. For quantity, either weight, volume or count. For qualitative, name the brand or grade. Example: 1140 ml bottle of Belvedere Vodka or 12 ounce AAA Alberta Beef

3. Provide copies of these specs to all of your suppliers. This will ensure they are all quoting on the same item. If they do not carry your spec, ask them to quote on the next closest, along with their products spec. Use this to measure against yours. Differences will be greater than you think.

4. Get a minimum of THREE produce quotes every week. You don’t need to supplier-hop every week, but this will help keep you up to date with current market prices. At least make sure your produce supplier knows that you are aware of how their prices are in relation to others.

5. Post the specs near the receiving door. Check each item against it’s spec as it arrives. Try to have the Chef or Manager who placed the order recieve it to ensure it is correct.

Top Shelf Consulting has been helping Ontario restaurants increase profits since 2000. Specializing in Menu Engineering, Cost Controls, and Service Selling, Top Shelf offers both one-on-one consultations as well as full-day seminars.

Check us out at http://www.topshelfconsulting.ca

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It is probably the number two task of leadership — asking. You ask people to do things, and when they do — well, stuff happens.

But what really extends your ability to make big things happen is asking for things that are “unreasonable.”

What is unreasonable? Asking people for things you have no right to expect from them, which under ordinary circumstances, you would expect them to say, “no.” But asking anyway.

The trick is to expect them to say yes, and not worry about whether they do or they don’t.

Create a game in your business. The game is for everyone to continually be unreasonable in what they ask of each other. And not just internally — externally as well. Include all your stakeholders in this game. (You choose whether or not to tell them about it the game.) Do you think this game could rocket your project forward?

If making requests is not a normal activity for most people in businesses, unreasonable requests are doubly abnormal. Most of us don’t want to risk rejection — so we ask for small things, easy things, wimpy things, and make it easy for people to say yes.

Keeping your requests small is a good strategy if you are no-o-phobic, but it limits your results.

The action in your business is moved forward in direct proportion to the size of your requests, so to move things along quickly, you have to ask big.

Think of what changes would make your requests unreasonable. Whatever you were going to ask for, ask for more. Whenever you wanted it, ask for it sooner. Whatever you were willing to pay or trade, ask for it for less, or free. You get the idea.

Make your requests larger. Bigger. Faster. Cheaper. Outrageouser.

Make them unreasonable.

Paul Lemberg is the president of Quantum Growth Coaching, the world’s only fully systemized business coaching program guaranteed to help entrepreneurs rapidly create More Profits and More Life. To get your copy of our free special report with detailed steps on how to grow your business at least 40% faster, even when you aren’t sure what to do next, go to Paul’s business coaching website.

Click here if you are interested in Quantum’s Business Coaching Franchise opportunities.

Is it okay to send travelers to other parts of the world without providing them adequate up-to-date information on possible political and weather related disasters that could occur on their arrival and during their stay? Is it acceptable to arbitrarily send travelers off to distance lands without the quick and efficient ability to determine where they are and advise them of possible upcoming events? Likewise what information about a traveler’s location and whereabouts should a company have available to them in the event of a family or other emergency back home?

Obtaining current information on the status of any country, be it political or weather related could and would require an information network that most companies do not want the expense of maintaining nor are really capably of implementing. Coupled with that is the need for an information system that would easily provide the locations and whereabouts of all travelers at any specific moment in time. The need to find a traveler could easily occur on weekends and evenings, outside of a company’s normal business hours. Once a company determines that it is in everybody’s best interests, company and traveler alike, to have this information, the question becomes how can a company acquire and maintain this much needed information, economically?

Travel management companies such as Navigant provide their clients and their clients’ travelers with access to up-to-the-minute information on current and potential travel situations and threats. Coupled with this service is the ability to accurately pinpoint the location of all or any specific traveler worldwide, in seconds, through a proprietary online tool.

Navigant, with its global network, operating in more than 1,000 locations in 65 countries has the ability to support clients and the clients’ travelers in the event of any political or natural disaster. As a Navigant client, the travel advisory and traveler locator services are just a small part of the overall benefits that a company receives that are redefining travel management, and leading to higher business performance.

As a Company or as a traveler you can put your trust in Navigant to keep you informed and safe!

Robert Berman is a business consultant specializing in business development, strategic planning, acquisitions & mergers and international sales & marketing. He has been a columnist for the National Post Newspaper under the byline of “The Business Doctor” and he has authored “The Business Buyer’s Manual”. He is available as a keynote speaker in many areas of business. He may be reached at Robert.Berman@businessbuyersmanual.com or visit http://www.businessbuyersmanual.com